Long Live 'Unusual Music'

It's always nice to get a shout-out for your tunes, and it's particularly pleasing when it appears in your hometown paper. The Detroit Free Press (Paul grew up in Motor City) tags our version of "Fire" as "especially distinctive," honoring Those Darn Accordions in a story about "unusual music." Other musical oddities mentioned include ukelele great Jake Shimabukuro, the masters of Bavarian reggae and 11-year-old yodeler Taylor Ware:

Imagine Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" played by a bunch of accordions. Can't get your mind around that? Then listen to the first album by Those Darn Accordions, a group that, in fact, plays very well.

It all began in San Francisco one night in 1989, supposedly for a one-time-only gig, according to www.allmusic.com. A player known as Big Lou, previously of Polkacide, pulled together all the accordionists she could find who wanted to play a set.

Membership has changed, but the group persists. Its latest album, "Squeeze Machine," came out just last year.

Thanks for listening, Freep staff writer Alex Cruden!

LOLMetal Makes Me Laugh

LOLcats never fail to get a grin out of me. There, I've said it; I'm not afraid to admit the truth.

LOLMetal pix -- which substitute death-metal clowns for cuddly kitties -- make me laugh, too.


(Via Underwire, where you can nominate future LOL fodder)

Pohjonen: Finnish for 'Pretentious'?

OK, so I'm slow. It took me nearly a year (and a profile piece in The Sydney Morning Herald) to work up the nerve to watch this clip of Kimmo Pohjonen after I first heard of the Finnish accordionist. Do yourself a favor and skip straight to about six minutes in, where a gibbering Pohjonen does a crazy impersonation of a homeless guy. You'll still get plenty of the pretentious, droning, "I crushed my accordion in a trash compactor" noise.



"Finland's Jimi Hendrix of the accordion" fares a little better in this KTU clip, in which the King Crimson rhythm section adds a little, well, rhythm.

I know not every Finn suffers from a complete lack of humor: Check out StSanders' parody "shreds" videos for some of the funniest music clips around. But geez. This Pohjonen guy kind of but not quite gives me the creeps. I just didn't know the accordion could be so ... joyless.

Behind the Bellows: An Accordion Documentary

Behold, the trailer for filmmaker Steve Mobia's squeezebox documentary, Behind the Bellows. Perhaps the title sounds familiar. Perhaps the rock accordion band featured in the trailer looks familiar. Perhaps this is a film any fan of Those Darn Accordions -- or, indeed, of the humble squeezebox itself -- needs to see.

(Via Let's Polka)

David Lee Roth Vocal Track Stripped Bare?

An MP3 file purporting to be David Lee Roth's raw vocal track from the Van Halen hit "Runnin' With the Devil" gives you a little insight into the recording process. Listen to it, and see how much magic there really is in a mix.

I don't know how, or where, Chunklet found this gem, but it's pretty amusing (even if it's not real -- but I think it is).

We've witnessed Roth's magical stage presence -- from the wings of the amphitheater at Oshkosh, Wisconsin's wonderful Waterfest -- as the only real Van Halen belter transformed from cigarette-inhaling guy to 1,000-watt entertainer as he made a few short steps into the spotlight. Amazing.

P.S. Want even more insight into the recording process? Buried in The Gear Page's forum discussion of the mystery track, member michaelvincent says: "The story I've heard about this song is that Ted Templeman thought the initial takes sounded too clean, and instructed ol' Dave to take a break, and go eat a cheeseburger and smoke a joint, then come back and do it again! I have no idea if it's true but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it was."

Mad Maggies Return to Penngrove

The Mad Maggies play the Black Cat Bar in lovely Penngrove, California, on Friday, Jan. 25. Show starts at 10 p.m. -- nice little club, so if you're in the neighborhood, drop on by for some squeezebox-and-horn music.

TDA's Next Cover Tune?

If you've got an accordion jones and a funny bone, check out the video for "I Just Don't Look Good Naked Anymore," as sung by squeezeboxer Stan Boreson. Truly an anthem for the ages.

(Thanks, Sharon!)